Cheat Sheet

Low-Carb Dieting For Dummies

Low-carb dieting is a matter of choosing foods and strategies that put you on the path to success. Eating low-carb means knowing how to estimate portion sizes, choosing the right snack foods, and stocking your pantry with low-carb items. Not sure how to maintain your low-carb approach to food? This Cheat Sheet shows you how.

How to Eat the Low-Carb Way

Eating the low-carb way means building your diet around lean proteins along with vegetables and fruits prepared fairly simply. If you were a meat-and-potatoes eater, focus on the meat more than the carb-heavy potatoes. The tips in the following list offer advice on what foods to choose:

Eat three or four meals per day. Never starve yourself and never skip meals. If you eat between meals, eat healthy foods that are also filling, such as apples or oranges.

Do not eat a full meal right before bedtime. A bedtime snack such as nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit is okay.

Drink plenty of water — eight glasses a day

Exercise moderately 30 to 60 minutes at least five times a week.

Practice the 90-percent/10-percent rule: Follow this plan 90 percent of the time, and treat yourself to a favorite food 10 percent of the time.

How to Stick with a Low-Carb Diet

Sticking with your low-carb diet is much easier if you set yourself up for success and prepare yourself and your kitchen for a low-carb lifestyle. The tips in the following list can help you realize your goals:

Set your kitchen up for success. Always have low-carb-friendly foods on hand ready to eat. Remove as many irresistible temptations as possible.

Prepare snacks in grab-and-go sizes. Make prepackaged snacks from cut-up veggies and whole wheat crackers in resealable plastic bags. Fresh fruit is already prepackaged for your convenience so carry some wherever you go.

Eat a variety of foods. Make sure you eat a variety of foods for better nutrition.

Find activities and exercises that you enjoy. If you find something you really enjoy, you're more apt to do it every day. If you're social, find friends to walk with. If you look forward to exercise as your alone time, plan times when you can work out alone. Make your workout personal.

Forgive yourself when you fail. Everyone experiences a setback from time to time. Don't use it as an excuse to give up completely. Figure out where you went wrong and get going again!

How to Estimate Portion Sizes for a Low-Carb Diet

A low-carb diet relies on knowing portion sizes to help you eat the proper quantities of the proper foods. To determine the number of low-carb servings you're eating, you need to estimate portion sizes. You may be surprised to see that normal portion sizes are a lot smaller than you think, as the comparisons in the following table show:

Measurement

Size

1/2 cup

About the size of a cupcake wrapper

1 cup

About the size of a tight fist or a tennis ball

1 medium fruit

About the size of a tight fist or tennis ball

1 medium potato

About the size of a computer mouse

1 ounce cheese

About the size of your thumb or a pair of dice

3 ounces meat

About the size of the palm of a woman's hand or a deck of
cards

2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing

About the size of a Ping-Pong ball

1 teaspoon oil or butter

About the size of the tip of a thumb

Approved Snacks for a Low-Carb Diet

Low-carb snacks are a good choice no matter which diet you're following because they're mostly fruits and vegetables. When choosing a low-carb snack, consider the ones in the following list first:

Must-Haves for the Low-Carb Pantry

If you're dieting the low-carb way, stock up on low-carb essentials so that when you have a need to eat, you can find healthy, low-carb ingredients. The following list contains recommended items to keep on hand: